Waikiki Aquarium
add photos13 Reviews for Waikiki Aquarium
37
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1 family found this helpful
"Small but nice aquarium"
Located along the shoreline of Waikiki, the Waikiki Aquarium is a small but very nice attraction and a great excursion for the family. The aquarium may not be as big as some would expect being in Hawaii or compared to other mainland aquariums but it has a wide variety and colorful collection of tropical reef fish providing an excellent opportunity for guests to see native Hawaiian and Pacific aquatic life.
The aquarium is home to over 3,500 marine animals representing over 500 species. Especially attractive to visitors is its collection of reef sharks, reef fish, rays, colorful jelly fish of all sizes and shapes, eels, living corals and other ocean creatures of the region.
If your little one’s are fans of “Nemo” as much as ours is, they will be delighted by an exhibit that consists entirely of clown fish!
Other unique creatures on display include the prehistoric looking Nautilus, rare Golden Lobster, and octopus.
The aquarium also has an outdoor reef exhibit which give little ones a bird’s eye view of some of Hawaii’s extensive and unique variety of marine life, including the Hawaiian state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua`a.
Also located among the outdoor exhibits is an endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal Habitat.
There are restrooms located within the aquarium as well as a small gift shop. The aquarium does not have any dining options, however, it is conveniently located within walking distance to many fine restaurants situated near the east end of Waikiki.
The aquarium does have a nice lawn area available for use so another option is to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy some shade and listening to the sound of the nearby surf as you dine on a picnic lunch!
In the summer, the aquarium hosts numerous special programs including a summer concert series on the lawn. The series features performances by local artists and offers you a chance to listen to some of Hawaii’s most celebrated contemporary music acts, sample tasty local food and catch a Waikiki sunset (bring a lawn chair and get there early!).
Additionally, once a month, the aquarium stays open late for “Aquarium After Dark” providing guests a flash light tour of the nocturnal habits of its residents.
We recommend bringing either a baby carrier or your smallest stroller for this attraction which makes it easier to navigate the exhibition halls and provide the best view for your little ones.
There are a few free parking spots in front of the aquarium but the best option for parking are the metered stalls along Kapiolani Park. The aquarium is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General admission is $9, $6 for kama’aina and military, kids under 4 are free while children age 5-12 are $2, and 13-17 are $4. For all the details on exhibits, special events, and admission specials check out the aquariums website at www.waquarium.org. Children love this aquarium! They are enraptured by the vibrant animal and plant life and do not seem to mind its relative small size.
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0 families found this helpful
"Fun Little Aquarium"
We had a couple hours to kill, so we stopped by the Waikiki Aquarium. It's not extremely big, but there are some really neat creatures there, including the Leafy Sea Dragon, various types of sharks, and sea horses. There are lots of different tropical fish that are native to Hawaii, too. You probably didn't find all of them if you went snorkeling, so it's fun to go see them up close!
0 families found this helpful
"Nice inside, very small!"
This is a fairly nice aquarium, good exhibits and it will keep your kids entertained for, maybe 1 hour. Our two toddlers cruised around here in an hour and were ready for the next thing. This might not be worth your vacation time. The big cheese here seems to be the monk seal, so well, you get the idea. But if you have some time and you're on the main drag, might as well kill an hour here. (But don't buy the membership or anything.)
0 families found this helpful
"Not too bad !"
I do not say this aquarium is one of the best compare with the one in mainland, but I like taking my daughter. This place is kind of small, and monk seal seems not too happy there, but your kids will love seeing all the fishes and my favorite leafy sea dragon ! You need only a couple of hours, so just stop by is not too bad !
0 families found this helpful
"Nothing that special"
I'm split down the middle with the Waikiki Aquarium; I wanted to love it but it just really was not up to par. It was surprisingly small and cramped and was really not very nice at all. I'm used to going to state-of-the-art aquariums; I guess that's why I'm so critical. The prices really weren't bad so that's a plus. Don't plan to spend alot of time here though because you'll be done before you know it.
1 family found this helpful
"Not what I expected"
We coupled this with the Honolulu Zoo and I have to say the Zoo was much better! For the price we paid to get in I was a little let down! I may be spoiled since I live in San Diego and I have the Birch aquarium and Sea World so close but this aquarium was small to say the least. I think it may have taken us and hour to get through it and I was glad we decided to go tot he Zoo as well because the day would have been a slow otherwise.
One comment though, if you walk to the Aquarium from your hotel, just north of the aquarium there is a sea wall and if you hit it at the right time of the day you will see some amazing breaks against this wall. We have some awesome pictures with wave splashing up behind us, but hold on to the little ones and be prepared to get wet if you get the right wave.
0 families found this helpful
"A bit disappointing"
disappointing! you would think an aquarium in hawaii would be great, it was rather boring. It is rather small and over priced. There are only a handful of free parking spots, and very hard to find parking elsewhere since it is next to the beach. We walked around the whole place in about 30 mins. i think it took longer just to find parking. We have young kids, and they enjoyed seeing the fish so it wasn't a complete let down, but was expecting so much more.
1 family found this helpful
"Very small but wonderful displays"
Only about 1/2 mile from the Zoo inside the park is the Honolulu Aquarium. Tiny compared to Monterey, they do have some great displays including a jellyfish tank, sea horse tank, eels, sharks and some monk seals outside. Easily doable in an hour and all inside out of the sun except for the monk seals.
1 family found this helpful
"Fun, but not a lot to see."
The Waikiki Aquarium is fun to see once or twice, but does not offer enough attractions to be the go to place on multiple weekends. I also find with little kids I have to pick them up to see into many of the displays. Many people combine this with a trip to the Honolulu Zoo since they are easily in walking distance - I find this difficult with two little kids and trying to juggle a naptime. After fighting traffic and parking in Waikiki, the aquarium doesn't usually rank worth the hassle for the minimal amount of time we spend there. Definitely a place better for a bit older kids - like early elementary school.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun with the Family"
For a chance to visit Hawaii’s famous underwater world up close, don’t miss the newly renovated Waikiki Aquarium. Founded in 1904, the aquarium is the third-oldest public aquarium in the United States. Here you can look nose-to-nose at a reef shark and catch a glimpse of Hawaii’s colorful state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua`a. The kids will love watching the comical expressions exhibited by the Hawaiian monk seals, whose faces are so cute they’re almost human.
Besides the monk seals, displays include an underwater Coastal Garden, an Edge of the Reef tank, a Hunters of the Reef tank, a jellyfish exhibit, and a reef machine that simulates the effects of waves and underwater currents.
2 families found this helpful
"Some fish and lots of grass"
This is probably the smallest aquarium I've ever been to, but it's great for kids with shorter attention spans. The aquarium is focused on tropical fish and marine life, so it provides a good learning opportunity about what kinds of fish are in the ocean that is just a stone's throw away. The best part of us was the large grassy area behind the aquarium. What a perfect place for kids to run and burn off some energy!
1 family found this helpful
"Our kids love this"
The Waikiki Aquarium's got lots of fun things to explore for kids of all ages. They've also got lots of fun family activities that you should definitely check out. We signed up for an Aquarium After Dark program (kids 5 and up) where you get to tour the Aquarium by flashlight and see who's sleeping and who's working in those aquarium waters. Be sure to check the calendar and register ahead of time for these events. They even have programs for parents with kids ages 1-3.
0 families found this helpful
"Fun for kids of all ages"
We came with our 1 year old son and he loved seeing all the different types of fishes and underwater creatures of the deep. Be sure to check out the cool leafy sea dragons.
Our son also loved the small hands-on exhibit outside where kids can hold starfishes, sea anenomes and various creatures. There's also a large green lawn for early walkers and crawlers to expend some energy and enjoy a light snack while the parents relax in the warm Hawaiian sun.
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